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Will Senate immigration vote resonate in 2014?

Will the Senate's bipartisan vote to pass a sweeping immigration bill have an impact on the 2014 elections? It's hard to predict what happens now, especially since the Republican-led House will not vote on

But the political stakes are unmistakable, especially for Republicans as they try to make gains with minority voters. President Obama won 71% of the Hispanic vote in the 2012 elections.

"If it fails and we are blamed for its failure, our party is in trouble with Hispanics, not because we are conservative, but because of the rhetoric and the way we handled this issue," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said about the bill during a recent appearance on Fox News Sunday. "I want to get reattached to the Hispanic community, to sell conservatism, pass comprehensive immigration reform and grow this party."

Graham, a member of the Gang of Eight that drafted the legislation, was one of 14 Republicans to vote "yes" on the measure. Graham, Maine's Susan Collins and Tennessee's Lamar Alexander are also the only GOP senators to support the bill who are up for re-election next year.

Graham has been targeted by groups opposed to a comprehensive immigration overhaul, and some in the GOP are looking for a candidate to challenge him in a primary. That's nothing new for Graham, who has come under fire in the past for supporting Obama's judicial nominees, such as Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

One surprise Republican supporter was interim Sen. Jeff Chiesa of New Jersey, who was appointed only recently by Gov. Chris Christie. Chiesa's political views are largely unknown, and he's being viewed in his short tenure in the Senate — rightly or wrongly — as a reflection of Christie.

Chiesa told the Philadelphia Inquirer that his vote to pass the bill makes immigration policy "better than it is now — better border security, better E-Verify, better entry and exit."

All 51 Democratic senators and two Independents voted for the immigration bill — including the three Democrats considered most vulnerable in the 2014 elections: Sens. Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Mark Begich of Alaska and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana.

In a statement, Begich said he supported the bill because it "includes the right mix of increased border security, enforcement on employers and clear path to citizenship for immigrants who have played by the rules."